Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Legal rights for women in the 19th century uk
Womens rights in the victorian era
Womens rights in the victorian era
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Legal rights for women in the 19th century uk
This essay will attempt to assess the impact of the 1942 Beveridge Report on the post 1945 UK welfare state. A welfare state is essentially ‘policy intervention through the state [to provide] forms of support and protection’ for all its citizens. (Alcock: 1998: 4) This means that the state will fund or provide provisions for services which are of need to its citizens. This is funded through citizens who pay taxes or National Insurance when they have active work, which in turn helps out the vulnerable members within a society. This concept is in essence designed to maintain the welfare of citizens from birth to the grave.
The notion of overseeing welfare wasn’t always the case in the UK. Before this the ‘Poor Law’ was operated. (1598-1948) This consisted on a basis that the poor amongst society were essentially a problem of their own making and in turn needed to be punished because of this. ‘Those without jobs were lazy, feckless or in some other way delinquent’ (Coats: 34: 2012) Welfare was deemed to be a privilege, a goodwill gesture from the rich to the poor. Harsh living conditions and the punishments were seen as motivation for the poor to strive to improve their own lives.
There was a growing sense that the poor did not deserve assistance and so in 1834 the ‘Poor Law Amendment Act’ was introduced. This was designed to make conditions more severe and to even further force self-improvement amongst the poor. ‘The central objective…was to withdraw poor relief from men judged ‘able-bodied’ in Poor Law terminology’. (Thane: 1978: 29) Alternatives such as the work-house were introduced. The notion that you should only ask for help if you desperately needed it as a last resource loomed. The Charity Organisation Society was ‘a body w...
... middle of paper ...
...es? The Smith Institute.
Blackburn, S (1995) 'How useful are feminist theories of the welfare state?’ Women's History Review, 4(3), pp. 369-394.
Webster, C (1992) 'Beveridge after 50 years', BMJ, 305, pp. 901-902.
Tomlinson, J (1998) 'Why so austere? The British Welfare State of the 1940s', Journal Social Policy, 27(1), pp. 63-77.
BBC (2014) Beveridge's Five Giants, Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/labour/five/revision/2/ (Accessed: 20/03/2014).
Page, R M (2008) 'Towards a ‘red’ and pleasant land? The attack on poverty and the pursuit of social justice in the Attlee era, 1945-51', Benefits, 16(2), pp. 125-33.
Thane, P (1978) 'Women & the Poor Law in Victorian & Edwardian England', History Workshop, 6(1), pp. 29+31-51.
Alcock, P. Erskine, A. and May, M (1998) The Student’s Companion to Social Policy, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing
The history of welfare systems dates back to ancient China and Rome, some of the first institutions known to have established some form of a welfare system. In both of these nations, their governments created projects to provide food and aid to poor, unemployed, or unable families and individuals, however these were based on “moral responsibility.” Later in history, in 1500’s England, parliament passed laws that held the monarchy responsible for providing assistance to needy families by providing jobs and financial aid. These became known as “poor laws” (Issitt).
Whiteside, Noel and James Gillespie. "Deconstructing Unemployment: Developments in Britain in the Interwar Years," The Economic History Review, Vol. 44, No. 4. (Nov., 1991), pp. 665-682.
The book I chose to write my paper on is Flat Broke with Children: Women in the Age of Welfare Reform by Sharon Hays. In the book, the author looks at the welfare reform act enacted in 1996, known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. . She examines both the positive and negative effects that the Act has had on the poor as well as the effects it has had on society overall.
In England poor laws were first passed in 1598 and continued in amended forms until the National Health Service (NHS) came into formal existence on the ‘Appointed day’ which was fifth of July 1948. The poor laws were introduced to deal with poverty at a local level. At this time the disadvantaged, sick and elderly were assisted by the church, charities, philanthropists and work houses. During the industrialisation revolution Britain saw immense technological advancements in manufacturing and machinery. There was the rapid creation of towns, people migrated into the cities in search of employment, cities became over-crowded worsening squalor and as a consequence the spreading of infectious diseases became rife. In the latter half of the 1800s political changes meant that governments needed to appeal to voters in order to remain in office. For example, The Representation of the People Act 1867 (Reform Act, 1867) which gave the vote to the working classes meaning that parliamentary seats would no longer be guaranteed by money and social status (Parry, 1996). In order to appeal to voters government would have to address social issues and the failing Poor Law. Reports by philanthropists Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree were of great influence to Liberal Government. Booth surveyed London’s population and documented the social deprivation and poor health of its inhabitants (Booth, 1902-1903). Whilst Rowntree studied poverty in York finding that twenty-eight per cent of c.46,000 people surveyed were found to be in severe poverty and fifty per cent of these people were in paid employment but their wages were not sufficient to afford to meet many of their basic needs (Rowntree, 1901). Prior to the National Health Service medical care ...
The United States is often referred to as a ‘reluctant welfare state.’ There are various reasons for this description. One of the primary reasons for this is the differences and diversity of the political parties which are the motivating forces that control government. The Liberal Party, for instance supports government safety nets and social service programs for those in need. “Liberals believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all.” ("Studentnews," 2006) They believe it is the responsibility of government to ensure that the needs of all citizens are met, and to intervene to solve problems. The responsibility of government is to alleviate social ills, to protect civil liberties and sustain individual and human rights. Liberals support most social and human service programs; such as TANF, including long-term welfare, housing programs, government regulated health care, Medicare, Medicaid, social security, and educational funding. Their goal is to create programs that promote equal opportunity regardless of gender, age, race, orientation, nationality or religion, along with many others. Liberals believe that government participation is essential and a means to bring about fairness and justice to the American way of life.
In the 1960’s policymakers began to speak of creating equal opportunity for everyone by educating and rehabilitating the poor so they could compete (on an equal footing) in the market place. The policymakers thought that this would eliminate the artificial barriers imposed by the circumstances of birth. By the late 1960’s a “welfare rights” movement advanced the claim that welfare was not an act of public charity, but instead an entitlement of the poor (Danziger). This claim was the result of the Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and opposition to the Vietnam War movements and the corresponding changes in philosophy and moral outlook that these movements brought about. This “entitlement credo” was op...
...lfare State in England and Germany, 1850-1914: Social Policies Compared. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2007. Print.
Hendrick, H. (2005) Child welfare and social policy: an essential reader. Bristol: The Policy Press.
Social Welfare is an encompassing and imprecise term, but most often it is defined in terms of “organized activities,” or another element that suggests policy and programs created to respond to social problems and improve the well being of those at risk. In this paper I will discuss the history of social welfare policies and its influence on families.
Our English heritage has greatly affected social welfare today. Some of the standards set in England include: indoor relief; a national policy for the poor; the provision of serving the poor by placing them in institutions; and the categorization of the poor into two basic categorizes, the worthy poor and the able-bodied poor (unworthy poor). The Elizabethan Poor Law also set precedents which include: clear government responsibility for those in need; government authority to force people to work; government enforcement of family responsibility; responsibility for carrying out programs at the local level; and strict residence requirements.
Introducing universalism in social policies was an attempt to lessen the role of residualism. Residual benefits are granted only as a last resort and are means tested where universal benefits are allocated without having to produce evidence of income or spending. Although residual benefits for the poor originated early in human history, there is good reason to decrease its importance as presented by Beveridge and Titmuss in the chapter dealing with the rise of British Universalism. Selectivity focuses on providing relief to those people deemed to be in need of benefits and services. Examples of selective services in Ireland include access to medical card or local authority housing “were criteria for assessing needs, evidence of living in overcrowded or unfit accommodation, and family size”….(Considine, Dukelow,
Baldock, J., Manning, N. and Vickerstaff, S. 2007. Social Policy: Third edition. Oxford University Press
Charles Dickens shows notable amounts of originality and morality in his novels, making him one of the most renowned novelists of the Victorian Era and immortalizing him through his great novels and short stories. One of the reasons his work has been so popular is because his novels reflect the issues of the Victorian era, such as the great indifference of many Victorians to the plight of the poor. The reformation of the Poor Law 1834 brings even more unavoidable problems to the poor. The Poor Law of 1834 allows the poor to receive public assistance only through established workhouses, causing those in debt to be sent to prison. Unable to pay debts, new levels of poverty are created. Because of personal childhood experiences with debt, poverty, and child labor, Dickens recognizes these issues with a sympathetic yet critical eye. Dickens notices that England's politicians and people of the upper class try to solve the growing problem of poverty through the Poor Laws and what they presume to be charitable causes, but Dickens knows that these things will not be successful; in fact they are often inhumane. Dickens' view of poverty and the abuse of the poor
What springs to your mind when you hear the word “Benefits”? Support? Corruption? Greed? Or an equal and fair society? The welfare system was founded in Britain over seventy years ago. It was originally created by the Labour government and intended to end poverty and inequalities. There are many people living in Britain today who legitimately qualify for benefits for a number of reasons including disability, unemployment and childcare needs. Some have argued that the introduction of the Benefits system has narrowed the gap between the rich and poor. Benefits do ensure each UK resident a basic standard of living in times of hardship. Unfortunately, over the years, this system has expanded and consequently it is open to exploitation and abuse. I feel it is necessary to explore and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the benefits system in the UK in order to come to a conclusion on whether this is a fair system for everyone.
Women’s subordination within the labour market is seen by Marxist feminists as suiting the needs of capitalism as women are considered a ‘reserve army of labour’ as they are a more disposable part of the workforce. According to Beechey (1986) women are a cheap ‘reserve army of labour’ that are brought in during economic booms but then thrown out during slumps. Women are often not members of trade unions and are prepared to work for less money as their wage could be a second income. This benefits capitalism as a group of unemployed people looking for work creates competition and exploitation. Employers are given an advantage which allows them to reduce wages and increase the rate of exploitation. Benston (1972) supports this as women are used to benefitting the operation of the capitalist economy by carrying out unprepared work in the home. This proves that patriarchy dominates women which leads to women’s subordination. Hartmann (1981) believes that patriarchy and the economy both play a crucial role in explaining and understanding gender inequality. Historically, men have controlled women especially by control of labour power. This can come through legislation that operates economically to the benefit of men, for example Maternity and Paternity Rights. This proves that patriarchy and economics together explains gender inequality. However, Walby (1986) argues that women staying at home can actually harm capitalism because if women were to compete for jobs with men this would lower wages and increase profits. Women who earn also have superior spending power which would boost the economy and benefit